Hi Grace, hi everybody
It sounds great for the price in Argos, will go to check it out right away. I was a bit skeptical with the VN2100 model as sometimes the USB key is a bit fragile and one still needs a USB cable then, to plug it onto the computer (other investment). Also, it can be a bit tricky with the new Windows Vista and does not boot properly onto the Vista computers; one has to fiddle around, which is a loss of time. The files are in Wave, an audio file which is quite heavy and cannot be easily transformed/exported as MP3-audio files needing much less memory/battery energy for a good audio quality.
The transformation of a Wave file resulted from Olympus-memory-stick-voice-recorder is usually done with free/shareware software (Audacity) if one wants to burn a CD and store the interview elsewhere. But this VN2100 makes Wave files only, and only for Windows computers, that one can copy easily and burn CDs only on Windows (2000 or earlier) machines. If somebody has a Mac, or Windows Vista, or, how knows, open platforms like Linux (very rare), than, Olympus VN's audio files are not easy transformable into files that can be bookmarked. That is why the Olympus WS family (that Tom has) is more flexible for a larger spectrum of computers. With more or less memory (I would prefer that one with 1GB - more memory - which lasts a bit more than 4h of crystal clear voice high quality recording actually, and many more hours on standard/low quality - for which you need a peaceful room and not many people speaking in the same time) the WS 300 or 321.. etc. are more robust - they split in two as a USB stick and it can be plug in directly, their battery lasts three days, and of inmportance for me, they are flexible and work on several types of computers and with a larger family of (free) software to listen, mark, transcribe and burn CDs. The only bad point is the price, they are rather expensive for something like a half of 10 cigarettes packet. I am hunting for one alike still, if you have an idea where to catch it cheaper, please let me know. I am glad Grace has a good experience with the Olympus VN, my techy magic was not that powerful to dissipate its spell, too bad for my pocket.
On the other hand, I confess, couple of months ago, I did a Skype exercise of BNIM interviews on Skype-video. As I was regularly on Skype with family and friends, once one became curious about what my BNIM training was about, I served them an example, without firstly thinking it has a real training value, as there were so many "layers" in-between me, the "passive" interviewer, and the virtual image of my interviewee on the screen. The most powerful the machine and the best quality of "a flowing" video stream would give a closer to "reality" interaction, and not a "robotically"-like slow motion movement. During the training with Tom and Prue - now, a year ago - the most difficult for me was to contain myself and not to "invade" the interview space with what I was thinking at that time as being some kind of "keeping the conversation going" tips. That is, the usual nodding, approving, yes-es, or, now I would call them without being too risky, inopportune questions. As the interviewee does not need all that - I feel it now, after couple of months of BNIM imerssion - as they are anyway in "their bubble", in their world-story. Immediately after the training and with the first pilot interview, I was, in a way, all over the places. The difficulty was to establish both a close enough, but distant and open enough "yard", where me listening and the interviewee can "sit", and she/he can "grow" his/her story, like a form getting out from the Aladin's lamp. I know all these images can be confusing. For me, this kind of "imaging" and the Skype thing helped me a lot to "quiet me down", and, in fact, to relax. I am aware it is a very personal experience, and I would not have thought of sharing it with the list if this Skype experience would not have came up. So, having a screen-machine firstly, and a ghost with the face of a friend in front of my eyes, and keeping an eye on the Skype counter too, helped me actually to become aware of my hands, that I don't actually need them, and the Skype interviewee don't actually need them also, they even don't "see" them, and it still works very well !. The "techy" layers in-between me the the virtual interviewee made me aware of a kind of "physical" space, comfy, that can be created during the BNIM interview. After this Skype experiment I do not need to hold my hands, or to be too conscious of my presence and to keep it "discrete" during a BNIM interview. I also think Skype has a great potential for BNIM, to disseminate it over the oceans and continents, and more, for those teritories that only start to be explored and mapped. When a BNIM/video/avatars' training Tom ?
Dellia DUNA, PhD student
"Older Gays and Lesbians in rural South West England and Wales: a Biographic Study"
HSC, Bournemouth University
Royal London House, Christchurch Road
Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 3LT, UK
Office Tel nr: (+44) (0) -1202 962730
Mobile Tel nr: (+44) (0) - 778946381561
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personal email address: [log in to unmask]
________________________________________
From: Discussion list for those practising BNIM [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Grace Kelly [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 19 November 2008 11:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Voice recorders
Hello everyone,
I use an Olympus VN2100/VN 2100PC and think it's great. It's light, small and simple to use. I transfer the interview onto computer. It cost £30 in Argos and I've been told there is 25% off everything in Argos (I hope that's still current).
All the best,
Grace.
Grace Kelly
Research Officer
School of Sociology, Social Policy & Social Work
Queens University Belfast
Belfast BT7 1NN
Tel: 028 9097 3483
Fax: 028 9097 3943
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: www.qub.ac.uk/soc
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for those practising BNIM [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Margaret Hodgins
Sent: 19 November 2008 10:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Voice recorders
>
HELLO everybody on the mailing list
I did not make the original training and would really rather not receive all
these e mails. I would be obliged if you could take me off your lists. Many
thanks
Margaret
Hi Anne-Marie (and hello to others - I'm newish too!),
>
> I started out three years ago with an old tape recorder I happened to have,
> and quickly ran (screaming!) to digital.
>
> My first digital purchase was an Olympus digital voice recorder VN-240PC,
> which I think cost in the region of £60, but only has about 90 minutes memory.
> It served briefly, and was a huge improvement on the cassette recorder for
> sound quality.
>
> I then upgraded to an Olympus WS-300M, same as Eleanor - not as good as Tom's,
> with fewer hours' memory at high quality sound recording, but it has better
> quality sound recording than the VN240, and does the job for me. I ALWAYS
> carry my other digital recorder and run that too, as a back up. Which in 16
> interviews so far has been needed (badly) once, when I failed to notice that
> the battery on the first one had died mid-interview.
>
> I did hear an anecdote once about one "old hand" researcher who after long and
> bitter experience carried no less than six recorders to each interview ...
>
> Best wishes,
> Susan.
> ----- Original
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Eleanor Clyne-Kingshott
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 12:34 AM
> Subject: Voice recorders
>
>
>
>
> Dear Anne-Marie Haigh
>
>
>
> I am new to this discussion circle, but here's my opinion. I am currently
> using an Olympus 300M which has slightly less memory that Tom's one, but has
> excellent sound quality and I get around the memory issue by just putting my
> audio files straight onto the computer and deleting the ones on the recorder.
>
>
>
> I think that tape recorders are very stress provoking and I was able to
> purchase this voice recorder for only $100AUS on EBAY( not sure how many
> pounds that is??). I also think the ease of being able to save several copies
> of the audio files is a benefit, as well as being able to listen to your
> files, if you wish, on your ipod!
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Eleanor
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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